NAIA Wrestling Coaches’ Top 20 Poll — No. 5

Grand View extends streak to 37-straight No. 1 rankings

February 08, 2017

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By Alan Grosbach, NAIA Manager of Athletics Communications and Media

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Grand View (Iowa) extends its streak to 37-straight No. 1 rankings, as the Vikings top the fifth regular-season edition of the NAIA Wrestling Coaches’ Top 20 Poll. This ratings marks the final of the regular-season, with the next installment being the postseason edition following the national championships on March 9.

Top 25 Highlights (historical information dates back to 2000-01)• Fueled by 12 ranked grapplers, Grand View (Iowa) collected 196.5 points en route to its 42nd all-time No. 1 ranking, which is the most for any program dating back to the start of the 2000-01 season.• The last time Grand View was not ranked No. 1 was on Oct. 17, 2012.• Eleven of the 12 ranked Vikings fall in the top four of their respective weight classes, including top ranked Jacob Colon (133 pounds), Grant Henderson (165 pounds), Lawton Benna (174 pounds) and Dean Broghammer (285 pounds).• Both Benna and Broghammer have been ranked No. 1 at their respective weight class in every poll this season. Benna is 12-0 on the year with six of those victories being pins. Broghammer, the defending national champion, has been equally as dominant with a 20-3 record.• Victor Hughes of Baker (Kan.) at 149 pounds and Cam Tessari of Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) at 157 pounds are the only other individuals to hold the No. 1 ranking through every poll so far this season. Hughes owns a 16-3 mark, including a title at the Missouri Valley Invitational, while Tessari is 32-1.• Adrian Camposano of Campbellsville (Ky.) and Matthew Nguyen of Eastern Oregon, who are tied atop the 125-pound weight class, are the only new top-ranked wrestlers. Camposano is 13-1 on the season, including an 11-7 decision against then-No. 1 Da’Wayne Robertson of Grand View on Jan. 5. Nguyen is 22-6 on the year and is unbeaten against NAIA opponents in the 125-pound weight class.• For the sixth-straight poll, Indiana Tech comes in at No. 2 with 62 points. The Warriors boast 11 ranked individuals, highlighted by second ranked Mitch Pawlak at 133 pounds.• The remainder of the top five consists of No. 3 Menlo (Calif.) (60 points), No. 4 Campbellsville (Ky.) (56 points), and Lindsey Wilson (53 points) and Montana State-Northern (53 points), which are tied at the No. 5 spot.• No. 11 (tied) Dickinson State (N.D.) and No. 20 Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) are the two newcomers to the poll this week. Both programs have five ranked wrestlers, respectively.• All six qualifying groups have at least two programs represented in the Top 20, led by five programs each out the East and the West groups.• Since 2001, only Grand View (2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16), former members Notre Dame (Ohio) (2010-11) and Lindenwood (Mo.) (2006-07) have spent the entire season ranked No. 1.• National qualifying events are scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 18 at six sites across the country. The top three finishers at each weight class, per qualifier automatically claim a spot in the 2017 NAIA Wrestling National Championships. The remainder of the 240-wrestler field is made up of wildcards selected at both the qualifying group and national level.

Poll Methodology• The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the six national qualifying groups.• One day prior to the national poll, each qualifying group rater submits the top six individuals from each weight class in his geographic area into the system. Only wrestlers listed on a qualifying group ballot are considered for the national ballot.• The top 16 individuals in each weight class is based on how each voter ranks the best individuals. An individual receives 20 points for each first place vote, 18 for second place and so on through the list. This same point system is used to determine the team ranking.• The postseason poll was determined using the individual and team results from the national championship• For the complete Top 20 calendar, click here.